subiemech85 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 up here, just south of the MN border, it's quite cold, currently -20.0 f when car first started and clutch released with trans in NEUTRAL, it will DRIVE FORWARD about 2ft also, shifting is quite hard with the std. 80w90 so, what will work good at the cold temps below freezing? 5spd pb 4x4 ATF?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenley Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 synthetic ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 those temps are nuts. and you're car is moving in neutral, can you explain that a bit? that doesn't make sense to me. i'd start with synthetic and check the owners manual....does it go that low!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman2 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Try Redline MT90, it is a 75w-90 weight GL4 synthetic. Have used it in my Brat for years with good results. Though it will still be a challenge at the temps you are talking about. Don't use Mobile 1 gear oil as it is too slippery, don't ask how I know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhise Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Redline 75-90NS has worked well for me. Way better than whatever old fluid was in there. Shifts smooth and easy at all temps now, but still get a little of that bump you described letting the clutch out in sub zero cold starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petersubaru Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Redline gear oil "MTL"..70/80-85..a little thinner then the 75/90 ...the MTL is what I use in my old jetta in cold weather temps..any thicker and it won't shift...in my 86 subi I use the ford "mercon" ATF mixed together with 1qt syn.5/30 oil..this mixture works out well for me and shifts near like new, if fact better then when I first got it (a bit crunchy when new).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 my gas must be frozen in purple car....and its blocking exit with anyother car. doh. maybe your clutch cable is froze up...not fuly disengaging the clutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 my gas must be frozen in purple car....and its blocking exit with anyother car. doh. maybe your clutch cable is froze up...not fuly disengaging the clutch. No... I think it's that the transmission oil is so cold and gooey that the gears are acting like a torque converter. My truck does the same thing when the tranny oil is around zero -- start it with the clutch in and let it warm up about 30 seconds so it doesn't stall... then release the clutch (hydraulic clutch), in nuetral, and it'll lug down as it starts to turn the goo in the tranny, and it'll move the truck a few inches. I need to switch it to synthetic..... Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Or just let the car run for 15 minutes to warm up. In botter cold synthetic will help, but do you really want to be chainging fluid in this bitter cold right now? When it gets this cold no car is just start and go. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Or just let the car run for 15 minutes to warm up. In botter cold synthetic will help, but do you really want to be chainging fluid in this bitter cold right now? When it gets this cold no car is just start and go. nipper Yeah..... it has to warm up for at least 10 minutes or it won't go anyway... carbureated engine. Switching to synthetic was something I was going to do eventually anyway, but the cold was more a reminder that I had planned that. And NO, I am not working on it in the cold if I can avoid it. It's only mid 20's here though. :-p Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallaby Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 do you know any farmers? a hydraulic/trans oil like Case Hytran is real thin but is designed to work in the trans and diff of a tractor so will offer good protection. I ran this in a Mitsubishi 4x4 for a while and it made a big difference to the shifting also ran it in an old GM car with a 4 speed. be careful you don't leave it in too long as HyTran will absord water(condensation) fine if you have 50 gallons not as good if you have a gallon or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 Or just let the car run for 15 minutes to warm up. In botter cold synthetic will help, but do you really want to be chainging fluid in this bitter cold right now? When it gets this cold no car is just start and go. nipper with block heater and milkhouse heater, it is start up and go :need emoticon for frozen dude driving frozen car: this weekend the garage is +75f, so that will help in changing oil :bannana: Maybe the JD low viscousity hy-gard will work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallaby Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 JD oil (mostly comes from the same suppliers anyway, just use a particular formulation under licence)will work . i used to work for a CIH dealer so that is what i have experience with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 both JD and CASE dealers are in town, and AGCO is on the way I was just thinking that the jd low viscosity would do better in the COLD CASE HYTRAN AGCO PERMATRAN JD HYGARD or low viscousity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempStrobeWylan Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I lived in South Dakota during the 80's and it took over an hour driving before I could get into 5th gear when it was really cold. One night it actually got down to 60 below F. That was when I learned that mercury freezes at 40 below since the only thermometer that read it accurately was a bi-metalic spring type. The mercury ones only go to -40. I started using synthetic in the tranny and rear end. Drove like it was summertime. Things really improved when got my first 87 DL and had a better heater. Now I use Walmart's super tech Full Synthetic 75w-140. Gets better gas mileage too. I guess some cringe about the Walmart brand but I have used synthetic for decades now and this stuff seems to do me well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash321 Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Now I use Walmart's super tech Full Synthetic 75w-140. Gets better gas mileage too. I guess some cringe about the Walmart brand but I have used synthetic for decades now and this stuff seems to do me well. Usually those brands are just rebadged majir brand oils. That is why they usually work good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 All this makes me think i need to be replaceing gear lube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I've ran Mobil1 and other good brands of 75w-90 synthetic for years with good luck. Shifts smoother when it's cold out, even down to -45 last week (drove through that temp, didn't start out that cold), and has less of the "creep" you described. The creep is caused by the thick oil causing so much drag that the input shaft drags the output shaft along with it. There's a bearing between the two that rotates freely in any gear except direct drive (4th), but when the oil is jello, that doesn't quite work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Txakura Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 my car pulls forward about two feet also, the trick around here is to hold in your clutch for a while until the engine is running smoothly in fast idle and let it out - also helps to push in the clutch when you start it up other than needing two hands to shift into 1st, once i'm rolling it isn't a problem for the gearbox to warm up - i just drive at a low speed for the first few minutes in second and let it warm sounds like I'll be trying the redline product when the outdoor temp gets up to working temperature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I dont think advising to hold the clutch in is good advice...at least in my opinion. I think the clutch should be engaged when you start any car. Bad throw out bearing visions I guess. One of mine with 80/90 will go forward when you start it too. Contrary to what everyone here thinks, I run ATF in my 5spd D/R winter and summer. The other I run synthetic. I like the ATF better. I've put a lot of mile on it with no issues. Then again......what do I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaru360 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 those temps are nuts. and you're car is moving in neutral, can you explain that a bit? that doesn't make sense to me. i'd start with synthetic and check the owners manual....does it go that low!?!?! That's kind of common. One of my wrxs will move forward some in neutral on a cold start when it's really cold out. I have 75/90 in that one. I think a real light synthetic would help. Something like the Redline lightweight shockproof might work out well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Txakura Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I dont think advising to hold the clutch in is good advice...at least in my opinion. I think the clutch should be engaged when you start any car. Bad throw out bearing visions I guess. One of mine with 80/90 will go forward when you start it too. Contrary to what everyone here thinks, I run ATF in my 5spd D/R winter and summer. The other I run synthetic. I like the ATF better. I've put a lot of mile on it with no issues. Then again......what do I know. sometimes when it gets below zero, you HAVE to take some of the load off the starter/battery - pushing in the clutch disengages the transmission jello from the engine jello and has made the dif between starting and not starting on several occaisions for me - never had abnormal throw out bearing issues from it - we have the same problem here as the original author, arctic air can come down unchecked through Canada and surprise us with temps as low as -38 (two years ago) we have also had -42, and -46 mornings, this year was weak - we only saw one -11 morning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash321 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 sometimes when it gets below zero, you HAVE to take some of the load off the starter/battery - pushing in the clutch disengages the transmission jello from the engine jello and has made the dif between starting and not starting on several occaisions for me - never had abnormal throw out bearing issues from it - : I can't start mine unless the clutch is pushed in, kind of like a park/neutral switch for manuals, I thought all manuals were like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I can't start mine unless the clutch is pushed in, kind of like a park/neutral switch for manuals, I thought all manuals were like that. Some are some arent. Some people remove or bypass the switch. Some switches fail. Jeeps dont have that switch as thats a method for getting unstuck, let the starter pull you out and the engine fire as opposed to modulating everything. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash321 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I guess if mine failed, I probably wouldn't have cruise control any more.......that would suck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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